


Hospitality

by Seascribe



Category: The Eagle | The Eagle of the Ninth (2011)
Genre: Canon Era, Gen, Snark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-23
Updated: 2011-11-23
Packaged: 2017-10-26 10:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seascribe/pseuds/Seascribe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Placidus is clueless, Cottia is snarky.  Marcus and Esca owe her big time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hospitality

**Author's Note:**

> A Christmas ficlet for Motetus, who asked for non-romantic Cottia and Placidus, and suggested that she might push him down a well.

If Cottia had not been so well-brought up, she would have balked at being forced to make space at her table for Servius Placidus. He had been party to one interminable dinner in her uncle's house--very disappointed, her aunt had been, when he had not shown any interest at all in Cottia--and she knows quite well how Marcus and Esca feel about him. But unwelcome as he is, a traveller requires hospitality, and it will not be on her account that anyone says visitors to the Aquila villa are ill-treated.

It is monstrously unfair that Marcus and Esca are not here to deal with him, she thinks, while Placidus is making use of their tiny bathing facilities. Doubtless, they are having a fine time in Venta Icenorum, without her. She punches the dinner's bread dough viciously. They had best be prepared to make this up to her upon their return. She takes a pleasant moment lingering on all of the ways that they might do that before steeling herself to deal with Placidus once more.

"It will grieve Marcus to have missed your visit," she says, bringing watered wine and olives to the couch where her guest is reclined, looking around their rough little farmhouse with an expression of barely-concealed pity.

"To be sure," Placidus says. "But I suppose it is no surprise to find him absent. I expect he must work himself to the bone, with his foolish new objection to holding any slaves. It must be very hard on you."

"None of us are unaccustomed to hard work," Cottia says, almost pleasantly, she thinks. "We do well enough for ourselves here, but I suppose it must be quite different to the lifestyle you are used to."

"I'm sure Marcus has made a fine start," Placidus agrees. "Actually, I would very much like to see more of the place. Perhaps I will be able to note some advice for him on how best to proceed."

Cottia bares her teeth at him and hopes that it looks like a smile. "Of course. But I am afraid I will have to accompany you. With Marcus and Esca away, it is only the housekeeper and myself here."

She is full confident that he will decline and be on his way, for surely he cannot be labouring under the illusion that she is offering anything but the barest requirements of politeness--and oh, if her aunt could hear their conversation, how furious she would be! The thought makes Cottia smile in earnest--but he says, "No matter, I'm sure I will be able to grasp the plan of operations well enough. I know it is unlikely that you are familiar with most of the details." He smiles kindly, oblivious to her seething.

Cottia wonders if she might get away with pushing him down the well. There would be no chance of his carrying tales of ill-treatment then. But likely Marcus and Esca would complain at having to dig a new one and would want to know the reason why. She grits her teeth. It would scarce be worth it, when all is said and done.

But the next time there are horses to trade, she will be riding to Venta Icenorum, and one of them can stay here to mind the farm and play host to unwelcome visitors. And in the meanwhile, she fully expects for her feet to be rubbed every evening and for someone else to manage the washing--these things in addition to the other amends she has already planned for them to make!--until she has been properly compensated for the trouble she has taken today.


End file.
